Page 59 of Bite of Passage
“We have a warrant to search your apartment.While that is underway, come with me to answer more questions.”The cop waved a pink slip of paper.Two more officers appeared and entered her space.The newcomers had dark irises that seemed almost entirely black.
How had they found her?
Had to be the guy at the ER.Everyone there had seen how crazy he’d been to find her in particular.
“Let me grab my backpack, basically my purse.I’m allowed to take it with me.”Not necessarily true if they were arresting her, but she had a feeling these three weren’t familiar with police protocol, not if they were from Skarde’s world.
She ran back to the bedroom and grabbed her just-in-case bag.She shouldn’t go with these dark-eyed people, especially not after that guy in the hospital died while warning her about some mysterious “assassins”.
What choice did she have?She didn’t have any magical powers to fight cops with guns.
With a smile, she pulled down the sleeves on the long sleeve T-shirt she wore under her scrubs to combat the freezing temperature of the hospital, effectively hiding the bracelet Skarde had given her.
She announced, “All ready.”
“Let me look in your bag.”Officer Milano grabbed the bag, rifled through it, and waved the crystal over it.It didn’t light up.She handed it back.
“What’s the deal with the crystal you keep waving around?”
How did she avoid going with these people?A part of her naturally cowed to authority—like cops.She’d been arrested a few times as a teenager and almost landed in juvenile detention.Cops, lawyers, and judges repeatedly proved to her they could mess up her life and make her far more miserable than before.
“The crystal is none of your business.”
“What are you charging me with?”I’m going to die.She backed up.“I’m not going with you until you give me a logical reason why.I’m going to phone the police station and ask to verify the warrant.”
She took her phone out and started to dial 911.
The officer slammed her against the wall and cuffed her.“Shut up, if you know what’s good for you.”
* * *
As she rode in the back of the police car, she tried to make herself believe that if she cooperated, they’d have to let her go.They didn’t have anything on her, and the normal officers would step in eventually.
Since they couldn’t be real cops, they might not even be taking her to a police station.Maybe it’d been stupid not to have fought harder.
They did take her to the station—one she recognized.They swiftly shoved her in a room with one of those freaky one-way mirrors and a metal table.
An hour alone in the small room that reeked of fried food confirmed her lack of faith in the justice system.
Officer Milano strode in.She smacked both hands on the metal table, making Gemma jump.“Where’s the crystal?The one Skarde gave you?”
At the mere mention of his name, her lower abdomen tightened.“Who?And what crystal are you talking about?”
The officer picked up a remote, turned on the TV, and fast forwarded through an old episode ofThe Legacy of Magic,the one with the mage she’d killed.The screen paused on a shot of her back, her face half turned to the camera.
“That’s you.”The officer pointed at the screen.
Gemma forced out a laugh.“That’s an old DVD a friend gave me.It’s impossible for that to be me.Do you see my name in the credits?I don’t think so.”
“That’s you.”Milano waved at the screen.
“Me?On the show?That would be crazy.That’s not me.”
“You saw a psychologist yesterday with whom you discussed having an infatuation with that vampire.”
So much for doctor-patient confidentiality.Fake calm.She folded her hands on the table.“First of all, that was a private conversation with my doctor.Second, I’m contacting the board about her.She’s not supposed to release that kind of information without my permission.Third, we discussed fantasies, of course.What girl in her right mind wouldn’t have a crush on the vampire from that TV show?I’m not nuts.He’s afictionalcharacter on TV who I dreamed about.I needed help to work through my dreams about a man who isn’t real.”
“How’d you get through to the other side?”
